In Ghana, rural households in the semi-arid region are considered the most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change. Using a mixed-methods approach – key informant interviews, household surveys, and focus group discussions – this study explored climate change perceptions and coping and adaptation practices among male and female heads of farm households in the Lawra district of Ghana. The study further assessed the views of male and female heads of farm households on the effectiveness of current climate change adaptation practices in mitigating climate change impacts and their preferred institutional support for adapting to future changes in climate. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data; the qualitative data was analyzed after coding. Both male and female heads of farm household were aware of long-term changes in rainfall and average temperature and its impacts on their livelihood and household well-being. Heads of farm households engaged in borrowing from village savings and loans groups, selling livestock, migrating to other areas for work, selling fuelwood, and processing shea butter to cope with adverse climate change impacts. Important barriers to adaptation were lack of money, old age or poor health, lack of or inadequate access to labor, and inadequate access to extension services. The results suggest that increased access to credit or income-generating activities, improved access to extension services, and provision of irrigation facilities are important interventions for building the resilience of farm households to a changing climate.
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